Conference Preview: Raccoon River
The Teams
ADM, Adel (12-11): The Tigers probably underachieved a bit last season, with one of the more talented rosters in 3A struggling to just over a .500 mark. And now they lose seven of the top nine from last season, with only Cole Knoll (4.7) and Koby Hardcastle (3.2) returning from the rotation. Knoll led the team in rebounding last season and shot an efficient 55.2% from the floor, while Hardcastle provided some scoring punch off the bench as a guard. He knocked down seven of his 11 3-point attempts last season, and will be called upon to be one of the primary scoring threats. With so much talent and experience gone, it’ll be tough to peg what to expect from this ADM team. They’ll struggle to compete with the upper echelon teams in the league.
Ballard (9-14): Four of the top six scorers from last season will need to be replaced for the Bombers, leaving them with a gaping hole in the backcourt especially. Trey Drummond (11.3) is the leading returnee, and he’ll have the ball in his hands a lot this winter after finishing second on the team in assists last season. His two running mates on the perimeter have graduated, so he’ll be looked upon as the primary scoring option among the guards. He’ll need to improve his efficiency from the arc (21-78, 26.9%) if he’s going to become a truly viable threat. Isaac Schafbuch (4.1) is the other returnee among the top six, an efficient scorer who shot 57% from the floor last season. With lots of scoring punch gone from the perimeter, perhaps Schafbuch becomes more of an offensive threat for a team that will be looking for ways to score. Chase Winterboer (2.8) is the only other player returning with any significant experience, and he’s a true gunner, with all 30 of his field goal attempts last season coming from behind the arc. He’ll need to play a big role alongside Drummond on the perimeter. If shots are falling, this group could win some games they shouldn’t, but it’s tough to see them competing in the upper half of the league.
Bondurant-Farrar (9-13): The Bluejays lose leading scorer Bobby Wright, who takes his 15 points a game with him. But they bring back scorers two through five from last year’s group, including a trio of double figure scorers, giving them one of the more experienced teams in the league. They’ll be headlined by the trio of John Carlson (12.1), Seth Moeller (10.9) and Tanner Bedier (10.3), a trio that does a majority of their damage from inside the arc, but that are capable of scoring from all three levels. Carlson led the team in rebounding and chipped in 30 blocks last season to boot. Moeller will be the team’s primary ball handler, and Bedier does a little bit of everything. Also back is Mason Storey (6.0), who was the team’s best perimeter shooter, knocking down 38 3s at a 39.6% clip. That quartet gives the Jays plenty of experience and talent. After allowing 61.6 points a game last season, they’ll need to improve a bit on the defensive end. That number ranked 49th, while their 61.9 points for ranked 20th. If they can get the defensive number down into the 55-56 points a game range, they could see another six or seven wins added to their total. They should be a team that finishes in the upper half of the league.
Boone (18-6): The Toreadors were as hot as just about any team in the state late last season, winning 12 straight games before falling to Dallas Center-Grimes in the substate final, falling a game short of the state tournament. They’ll have some work to do to get back to that point, as they lose three of their top four scorers from that group. The lone returnee from that top four is forward John Herrick (11.0), a talented 6-6 combo forward who can be a matchup problem, and could take his game to the next level as the lead gun on this year’s team. He’s a good athlete and excels around the rim. Trevor Vanpelt (7.2) is also back, and he’ll be called upon to be one of the team’s primary ball handlers. He’ll need to improve on that, as he had 21 assists to 34 turnovers last season. Justin Aspengren (5.4) and Dresden Wilson (2.4) are the only other returnees with significant experience, so this group will have a lot of holes to fill if they want to come close to repeating what they did last season. They were a solid defensive team last season, allowing 54.1 points a game, good for 18th in Class 3A. They’ll likely need to rely on that end of the floor, especially early on, if they want to win games. They’re a step below Carlisle in the league, but they should still be able to fight for a top three finish.
Carlisle (15-8): Another team that closed last season strong, the Wildcats won seven straight before falling to Pella in the district final. They bring back a lot from that group, including three double figure scorers and one who finished just shy of that mark. This is the team to beat in the league. They’ll be led by our preseason POY in junior guard Collin Lister (17.6), a remarkably efficient scoring guard who shot 54.8% from the floor last season and thrives on his ability to break down a defense and get to the rim. A true stat sheet stuffer, he also contributed three assists a night. If he can improve on his 29.6% from behind the arc, watch out. Tommy Donovan (10.7) also returns in the backcourt after leading the team in assists last season with 87. He’s a capable shooter from the arc, but like Lister, thrives on getting into the paint. Cole Henderson (10.0) and Max Goodhue (9.6) will make up the frontcourt. Goodhue led the team in rebounding and blocked 40 shots, while Henderson blocked 25 shots of his own. The duo combined to shoot 57.9% from the floor last season. They’ll need to find a fifth body to put in the starting lineup, as well as some role players to fill out the rest of the rotation, but that quartet is the best in the league. This is a team that shot 52.2% from the floor last season, with Lister (54.8), Donovan (52.7), Henderson (57.2) and Goodhue (58.7) all shooting well above 50%. This is a potent offensive team, no doubt about it. The area in which they could run into some problems is on the defensive end, as they allowed 61.6 points a game, which ranked 50th in Class 3A (out of 64 teams). And that number skyrockets to 69.3 points a game in losses. They’ll need to learn that while the offense is potent, it won’t mean much if the team isn’t getting stops. We believe they’ll improve on that end, and they’ll be a legitimate threat to get to Des Moines, where they could make some serious noise with the offensive weapons they have in tow.
Carroll (13-9): The Tigers lose two of their top three scorers (and four of their top seven) from last year’s group, including one of the best players to pass through their program in recent years in Kolby Molinsky. But there is some reason for optimism in Carroll, as they bring back enough talent to remain competitive. They’ll be led by Cooper Ross (13.3), a talented shooter who connected on 40.5% of his 126 attempts from behind the arc last season. He’ll shoulder the big scoring load this season, while also being the team’s primary ball handler and distributor. Colby Vincent (6.0) will be his running mate in the backcourt after a solid freshman season. He’s a big bodied wing who can really shoot the ball, and he should fit in nicely alongside Ross on the perimeter. The key to this group’s success may be 6-8 senior Cole Eischeid (7.7). He’s a long, athletic big man who runs the floor, can block shots and finish with authority at the rim. The issue with him has always been consistent effort. If he’s able to provide the Tigers with 32 strong minutes each night, there are few players in the conference capable of slowing him down. Justin Mohr (2.0) is the only other returnee with significant experience, so the Tigers will be leaning heavily on their “Big Three” to win them games this season. The talent is there, it’s just about putting everything together now. They will finish in the upper half, but if they’re able to put it all together, they can push for a top two finish.
Perry (12-10): The Bluejays need to replace their top two scorers from last season, a duo that accounted for nearly 55% of their scoring last season. The good news is that those two are the only ones of note that are gone. They’ll be led by point guard Rashon Ivory (10.8), a quick lead guard who is equally adept scoring or facilitating. He dished out 99 assists last season and also led the team in steals. He’ll be joined in the backcourt by Connor Nielsen (6.6), who had 80 assists of his own, to just 34 turnovers. That tandem will be among the best in the league in terms of protecting the ball and distributing to teammates. They’ll need to find some production out of players like Drew Levan (4.1), Brandon Kenyon (3.4) and Tanner Duffy (1.5) if they want to compete with the top tier teams in the league. But with a solid duo of guards to build with (and guard play wins in the high school ranks), they should have another solid season.
Winterset (6-16): The Huskies struggled to a last place finish in the league last season, but showed some potential notching quality wins over Carlisle and Greene County, and a sweep over Ballard. They return entirely in tact this season, so there is plenty of room for optimism. More reason for optimism comes in the form of their two best players last season were a sophomore, Casey Kleemeier (15.5), and a freshman, Easton Darling (13.8). That duo will be one of the best in the conference, and with full varsity seasons under their belts, look primed to take the next steps. Few players in the state had a better summer than Darling, who was routinely dominant on the grassroots circuit with Martin Brothers. Also returning is Justin Henry (11.5), a 6-2 senior wing who, like Kleemeier, thrived getting to the rim. Nick Mortoza (5.4) and Nick Baur (3.6) round out the starting five. Baur is a quality rim protector on the defensive end, and Mortoza led the team in rebounding and shot 55.3% from the floor, giving them a capable interior scoring option. Harrison Brockway (6.0) provides some scoring pop off the bench. Those six players will be the primary options for this Huskies group, who will need to improve drastically on the defensive end if they want to make a big leap. They allowed 68.9 points a game last season, which ranked dead last in Class 3A. If they can get that average down into the low 60s, the guard play will put up plenty of points, and they should see the win total skyrocket. If they don’t buy in on the defensive end, however, they could be looking at similar results as they had last year.
Projected Order of Finish
1. Carlisle
2. Boone
3. Carroll
4. Perry
5. Bondurant-Farrar
6. Winterset
7. Ballard
8. ADM, Adel
Analysis: Carlisle looks like a pretty clear favorite in the league, but teams two through six could be thrown in there in pretty much any order. Winterset is as dangerous as anyone, and if they buy in and play defense, they could see themselves grabbing that second slot. It’s wide open after the Wildcats.
PRESEASON PLAYER OF THE YEAR
2019 Collin Lister, Carlisle: 17.6 points, 3.0 rebounds, 3.0 assists, 54.8 FG%
The league’s leading returning scorer, this talented slashing guard shot an efficient 55% from the floor last year and contributes in nearly every facet of the game for the Wildcats, who are a heavy favorite to win the league.
BIGGEST SLEEPER
2018 Cole Eischeid, Carroll: A player we’ve been a fan of for quite a while, Eischeid will finally get a chance to really shine this year with the Tigers. He’s a 6-8 center who runs the floor, is athletic and finishes strong at the rim. The issue with him when we’ve seen him is consistent effort. If he’s able to put together a strong 32 minutes every night, he’ll have a great senior season and will make Carroll really dangerous.
PLAYERS TO WATCH
2019 Collin Lister, Carlisle
2018 Tommy Donovan, Carlisle
2018 Cole Henderson, Carlisle
2018 Max Goodhue, Carlisle
2019 Casey Kleemeier, Winterset
2020 Easton Darling, Winterset
2018 Justin Henry, Winterset
2018 Cooper Ross, Carroll
2020 Colby Vincent, Carroll
2018 Cole Eischeid, Carroll
2018 Rashon Ivory, Perry
2018 Connor Nielsen, Perry
2018 Trey Drummond, Ballard
2018 Seth Moeller, Bondurant-Farrar
2018 John Carlson, Bondurant-Farrar
2018 Tanner Bedier, Bondurant-Farrar
2019 Mason Storey, Bondurant-Farrar
2018 John Herrick, Boone
2018 Trevor Vanpelt, Boone